Improvement in velocipedes



W. GAFFEY.

` Velocipedes.

N0.137,431, PatentedAprimlsm.

f500i/w 11,1454/ UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM GAFFEY, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN VELOCIPEDES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 137,431, dated April 1, 1873; application filed November 1, 1872.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM GAEEEY, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, have invented an Improved Velocipede, of which the following is a specification:

The object of my invention is to produce a velocipede combining strength and lightness, and capable of being driven at a high rate of speed by the hands of the operator; and I accomplish this object in themanner and through the medium of the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which- Figure l is a plan view of the velocipede; Fig. 2, a front vie-w; and Fig. 3, a longitudinal vertical section of the same.

The axle of the front wheel A revolves in a yoke, B, to which are attached the stirrups a a for the operators feet, the said yoke, with its stirrups, being formed of wroughtiron bars, bent and secured together in the manner plainly shown in Fig. 2. The yoke is connected by a belt, b, to the front end of the frame l), the latter consisting of two bars connected together at two points in frontthat is, at the point where the yoke is swiveled to the frame, and by the cross-bar d-from which point the bars take an inclined direction toward the rea-r axle F, of which the ends c e of the two bars form the bearing, the said bars being connected together bya cross-piece, E, on which are two additional bearings, f f, for the rear axle, to which the twoA wheels G Gr are secured. A transverse shaft, H, furnished with suitable driving-handles t' i, is arranged to turn in the front end of the frame, and on this shaft is a cog-wheel, h, gearing into a similar cog-wheel, j,on a shaft, k,wl1ich has a bevel-wheel, m, gearing into a similar bevel-wheel, n, on an inclined shaft, K, which has its bearings in the cross-bars d and E of the frame, the rear end of the shaft being furnished with a bevel-wheel, p, gearing into a similar wheel, q, on the rear axle F. The operator occupies the seat M, which is secured to the frame in any suitable manner, places his feet in the stirrups ,a a, seizes the drivinghandles t' t', and by means of the latter turns the shaft H, and consequently, through the medium of the gearing described, turns the rear axle, which makes several rotations to one of the shaft. A solid sphere, I, of metal, y

2. The inclined shaft k, furnished at its op-l posite ends with bevel-wheels n and p, and serving as a transmitter of motion from the front to the rear end of the velocipede.

3. The combination, substantially as described, of the driving-crank shaft H, its cogwheel k, the shaft lo with its cog-wheelj and bevel-wheel m, the inclined shaft K with its bevel-wheels a andp, and the bevel g on the rear axle, all substantially as specified.

4.. The yoke B and stirrups or foot-rests a a, consisting of wrought-iron bars, bent and' connected as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WILLIAM GAFFEY.

Witnesses:

WM. A. STEEL, JOHN K. RUrERTUs. 

